Good morning Pragmatic Obots.
Today’s judge is the Honorable Tanya Walton Pratt.
(Tanya Walton Pratt Makes History as First African American Federal Judge in Indiana, Inside Spelman)
“Just because something has never been done, does not mean that it cannot happen,” said Tanya Walton Pratt, C’81. And she should know. Judge Pratt recently joined the long legacy of Spelman women who have broken boundaries and created change by becoming the first African-American to be appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana and the first African-American federal judge in the state of Indiana.
Nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate with a unanimous vote of 95-0, Judge Pratt began active duty as a federal judge on June 25, 2010. “I respect the historical significance of my appointment,” said Judge Pratt. “The significance of being the first is that it encourages others to reach the heights of their profession.”
A 1984 graduate of Howard University School of Law, Judge Pratt also recognizes the importance of a diverse bench. “Although you may not be able to tell any difference in the work product or whether an opinion is written by a man or a woman or a minority jurist; a diverse judiciary enhances the quality of justice and makes it deeper and broader and more credible.”
Before becoming an elected judge, Judge Pratt was a partner in the Indianapolis law firm of Walton & Pratt where she practiced family law, personal injury, probate and criminal law. From 1997 to 2008 she was the presiding judge of Marion Superior Court, Criminal Division One and most recently from January 2009 until her present appointment, she was the presiding judge of the Marion Superior Court, Probate Division.
The Indianapolis native comes from a lineage of Spelman women, her mother, Joan Blackshear, C’56, and sister, Mia-Lon Walton, C’79, also attended the College. Judge Pratt credits Spelman as an incredible place to learn, grow and develop. “For me, Spelman met its goal of promoting academic excellence, and developing the intellectual, ethical, and leadership potential of its students,” said Pratt, who’s been married for 26 years to another Howard Law graduate Marcel A. Pratt Jr.